Susan's RS Reefer 3xl 900 Fantasy-Dream Build

[blaxsun]

In my reef I'm dosing a pittance - barely 12ml of calcium and magnesium combined. Alkalinity is a different matter - needing anywhere from 100-120ml daily to maintain a dKH of between 8.25-8.35.

 

[Susan Edwards]

In my reef I'm dosing a pittance - barely 12ml of calcium and magnesium combined. Alkalinity is a different matter - needing anywhere from 100-120ml daily to maintain a dKH of between 8.25-8.35.

wow, okay that makes me feel better as I'm dosing 52 and barely staying around 8.2 and 8.4. As soon as my brs is done I'm going to try topic marin for ca/mg

 

[blaxsun]

wow, okay that makes me feel better as I'm dosing 52 and barely staying around 8.2 and 8.4. As soon as my brs is done I'm going to try topic marin for ca/mg

Tropic Marin All For Reef is everything - alk, ca and mag.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Tropic Marin All For Reef is everything - alk, ca and mag.

that's cool. I'll do some research on it. I can always keep the brs stuff on hand. What do you do if you need 1 element higher than the others? Like alk? Dose something else?

 

[blaxsun]

that's cool. I'll do some research on it. I can always keep the brs stuff on hand. What do you do if you need 1 element higher than the others? Like alk? Dose something else?

From what I understand it's all you need to maintain all three levels, though I imagine if you need a touch more of any you could dose those separately. If you do a few searches on R2R there's a few examples where people have documented how it works for them (I personally haven't tried it out myself).

 

[Susan Edwards]

good idea. You just mix ca and mg to dose and alk separate, correct?

Plate looks like a 2nd mouth forming

 

[Susan Edwards]

recalibrated trident to tank water after I tested. Ca over 500 so will start lowering what is being dosed. Alk was right on and mg is way higher. from 1400 to 1500. New hanna tester is even higher. Have to do 2 tests to get close but I knew at least 1500 was right as salifret was over 1500. I don't mind that one being a bit high but calcium has to come down.

 

[blaxsun]

good idea. You just mix ca and mg to dose and alk separate, correct?

Yes, I use the Nyos powder and pre-mix with water. Alkalinity goes in one DDR reservoir and calcium and magnesium (~60-40 split) in the other.

Nice plate - one of my denizens likes the tentacles on these, so I've only been able to keep the one so far.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Back from being gone 5 days and tank survived without me lol's. Checking numbers now. Turned calcium dosing off as it was staying over 500. Still just over 500. Need to bring it down to stop alk from precipitating. I had recalibrated trident to tank again and now alk is showing better numbers. 8.79. Mg at 1520 and ca at 508. NO3 19.6 and po4 0. Hubby didn't have time to dose neophos this morning so will dose tonight.

Another woo hoo! Spotted my court jester goby tonight. Hadn't seen it since the first day in tank. That was almost 3 weeks ago. So I've seen all 4 new fish now.

Corals all looking good. cleaned glass first thing and used the "reef snow" Tank looking nice and clear.

Hoping I can talk hubby into some tank work. He's so wiped out from taking care of cats, dogs, plants and fish tanks he may balk lol's

I thought this coral was a tenuis but it has pretty long sweeper tentacles so I don't think so as they don't have these. Am thinking a tort? Any ideas? It seems to put these out after I've cleaned the glass. Pic and a video

20220625 165540

tort coral? Sweeper tentacles

youtube.com

 

[blaxsun]

Glad to hear your vacation was uneventful! (at least insofar as the fish were concerned) So as I sit here writing this reply in the dark I here this clicking coming from my tank. I either need to look at maintenance on one of my wavemakers or embark like Ahab on my own quest for the great white whale...

 

[Susan Edwards]

Glad to hear your vacation was uneventful! (at least insofar as the fish were concerned) So as I sit here writing this reply in the dark I here this clicking coming from my tank. I either need to look at maintenance on one of my wavemakers or embark like Ahab on my own quest for the great white whale...

a mantis or pistol. I have never heard my pistol...

 

[i cant think]

I’ve missed this thread!

Back from being gone 5 days and tank survived without me lol's. Checking numbers now. Turned calcium dosing off as it was staying over 500. Still just over 500. Need to bring it down to stop alk from precipitating. I had recalibrated trident to tank again and now alk is showing better numbers. 8.79. Mg at 1520 and ca at 508. NO3 19.6 and po4 0. Hubby didn't have time to dose neophos this morning so will dose tonight.

Another woo hoo! Spotted my court jester goby tonight. Hadn't seen it since the first day in tank. That was almost 3 weeks ago. So I've seen all 4 new fish now.

Corals all looking good. cleaned glass first thing and used the "reef snow" Tank looking nice and clear.

Hoping I can talk hubby into some tank work. He's so wiped out from taking care of cats, dogs, plants and fish tanks he may balk lol's

I thought this coral was a tenuis but it has pretty long sweeper tentacles so I don't think so as they don't have these. Am thinking a tort? Any ideas? It seems to put these out after I've cleaned the glass. Pic and a video

20220625 165540

tort coral? Sweeper tentacles

youtube.com

That is a stunning SPS. Wish my guys would look that fluffy. Do you know the key to a fluffy SPS by any chance?

 

[Susan Edwards]

I’ve missed this thread!

That is a stunning SPS. Wish my guys would look that fluffy. Do you know the key to a fluffy SPS by any chance?

Thanks lol's. This is like a diary format and I just jabber away haha.

Thanks on the sps. Luck? I think it likes the flow and light. Other than that, I dose trace colors (red sea) and another enzime and ab+ and phyto. Right now I manually dose the trace (abcd) but plan to hook up my other doser for it. I'm pretty proud and happy with the tank and the ability to have sps growing and thriving and lps as well. My last tank was a dismal failure for all except softies. But that was a combination of too high no3 from neglect and that monster leather toadstool. Once I got tank cleaned, numbers down and leathers all gone, I was able to keep some lps alive for the month or so before the new tank. My son in law has a couple leathers and his tank handles it. But it is a 500 gal where I had 125.

Still trying to find out what it is as it is not a tenuis.

My tiny little court Jester goby out this morning. So funny that this new batch of fish all went into hiding for weeks. He is in the same area where he was that first day. Royal gramma is out in her little corner at back of tank. Haven't seen the redfin wrass since I've been back but I know where it hides. Pin stripe wrass is out a bit more. Not like my anthias.

Now if I could only catch up these dang damsels...

Turned off my calcium dosing (ran 2 ml just to be sure lines aren't clogging) as I'm still over 500 and that is without any dosing since wednesday. Everything else pretty stable.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Back to work today. Ugh! Hard to go back after 5 days off lol's. Off tomorrow so hoping to get some tank and house stuff done. Might take off again in August so would really like to get more done and things even more stable!

Harvested more pods. The jar is filled with them. Took some out via turkey baster, added water and phyto back in. Those Poseidon systems work great.

Elegance playing happy/not happy with me. Better today. Tomorrow will glue down a couple more frags that fell. And get attacked by the "danged damsels"

No idea if we can see the pods in the glass. Dumped them into the refug. My sea lettuce is going nuts and the chaeto as well. Since adding chaeto gro, both macro algaes have taken off. I've never been able to grow chaeto. Will work on my containers for the sump tomorrow as well

full of pods

Ulva sea lettuce may 24

June 16. The chaeto is in the small basket.

today June 27 The chaeto is outside basket and sea lettuce in big and small baskets. Am harvesting for the tangs etc.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Cleaned glass, added snow. Tank looking clear. Means my socks will be plugged by tonight lol's

glued a chalice in place and moved a red goni higher on other side of tank. It is still alive but won't extend. Have a micro goni I should try to move and save

No3 (if hanna right) 0.8
PO4 (if hanna right) .06

Didn't do any neophos or zero this morning but will do so tonight. Will add some coral powder to tank as well

Got a good look at my mandarin. It is a fat pig! Will keep building up the pods with my harvests as I want a scooter blenny. Would love a mate for my mandarin but no idea what sex it is.

Looks like Dave the sea cuc headed into the sand last night. I think I saw him behind the rock thru the tunnel going into the sand.

thinking about adding a couple cleaner clams. Do they do much of anything?

Took a good study of corals. I have several either touching or close to it
Purple stylophora and purple montipora digitata. If an issue, I can prob. unglue the stylo and turn it to the left
Green birds nest and a deep water acropora. Not sure if I should frag branch of acro or leave it
Pocillipora and birds nest on same rock frag and seem okay

Not sure if my monti digi is that as one of them as encrusted a branch onto my rock

 

[blaxsun]

Look at the dorsal fin on your mandarin for a protruding spike/spine along the edge (sometimes upu have to wait for the fish to move and the fin extended to observe). If you find one that's a male.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Look at the dorsal fin on your mandarin for a protruding spike/spine along the edge (sometimes upu have to wait for the fish to move and the fin extended to observe). If you find one that's a male.

i will check for that!

no3 13. 2 days in a row of good numbers. Will test po4 tomorrow

Debating adding a mollie or 2 or 3 for algae. Anyone do this?

 

[fishguy242]

Debating adding a mollie or 2 or 3 for algae. Anyone do this?

have not, but what can it hurt ? could see it helping NO3 ,either way...

 

[Susan Edwards]

Debating adding a mollie or 2 or 3 for algae. Anyone do this?

have not, but what can it hurt ? could see it helping NO3 ,either way...

Hoping they'd go after more algae than the other fish! Need more tuxedo urchins as well. Prob order more cuc and focus on what I need to deal with algae and sand. More nasarius and maybe a couple mexican snails, though afraid they might be too big and bulldozy

 

[fishguy242]

skip the mexi's ,grab some trochus ...